THE Hay Festival is getting behind a campaign to protect the town's library from a reduction in its opening hours.

Powys County Council slashed opening hours at libraries across the county from April as it must save £350,000 from the service's budget in the 2015/16 financial year.

But the authority has agreed Hay Library can maintain the longer opening hours if the shortfall is made up by the community.

The international literature festival has supported the campaign to raise the £7,000 to meet the shortfall by staging a performance of a one man play written by festival director Peter Florence and selling videos of a talk at the 2013 festival by best selling spy writer John le Carre.

"It was a big long career interview, a 90 minute session. Many people think it was the best gig we had here. About 1,000 people saw it," said festival boss Peter.

Hay councillor Gareth Ratcliffe said maintaining the library's usual opening hours will allow the community to review how the library is used and what services should be provided in the future.

For the full story - and highlights of the Hay Festival - see this week's Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale now